Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, in Rome. In a social media post, Meloni stated that the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in several key areas, such as infrastructure, defense, and the fight against illegal migration. She emphasized that, five months after the Intergovernmental Summit held in November, the meeting at the Chigi Palace served to take stock of progress and further advance the strategic partnership between the two countries. "Five months after the November Intergovernmental Summit, today's meeting at the Chigi Palace with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, has allowed for an overview of the strengthening of the partnership between our countries in sectors of mutual interest, with a particular focus on infrastructure connectivity, defense, and cooperation in the fight against illegal migration," wrote Meloni.